Hero's Might: Previews
by BlackDragon41
Summary: For the 1 year anniversary of writing Hero's Bane; I am giving my readers a preview of the sequel called 'Hero's Might', an upcoming story that is still quite the while away but coming slowly no less. In the first Excerpt you will meet two new characters, see Steve again, and Herobrine shows up.
1. Chapter 1

**Hero's Might: Previews**

**It's OFFICIALLY my ANNIVERSARY for Hero's Bane and I am super excited about it and all of the support you guys have given me over the year, you pushed me from writer's block and motivated me to write through the thick and thin. You even gave me some kind of light when my life took a turn into a dark pit of despair. I was still writing this when my grandpa died back in January, he was like my second father when my parents split for 7 years, so sitting with him at the hospital for almost a week only to watch him waste away was just utterly depressing. He raised me with my sisters until my parents got back together. Losing him was tough. It was even tougher when my baby cousin Zander died shortly after from heart failure. … Yet… I still continued to write on my story during those tragic times because Hero's Bane seemed to be the only thing to keep my mind from my losses. I can't believe that I am still working with it after a full year, nevertheless; I am glad. And I am glad you are still enjoying that story.**

**A/N: So, sorry if I didn't post this as an update to my chapter 60 or post 61(because it's nowhere near done) but after contemplating it- I just didn't think it would be right to clutter my last chapter with such a long page(s) of an A/N. It's long enough as it is so I decided to just post it as a new story, but this is rather 'pieces' of a story.**

**These are excerpts in the upcoming sequel; which is actually still a while away, and they are NOT in order. There's a reason for that but you don't need to know. Besides, I haven't started writing on the sequel so I am just taking parts that I have fully chosen to take place and I wrote them down. There are some excerpts that will have no names because it wouldn't be fun to let you know who's speaking and who they are speaking to, but on some I'll let you have the speakers. Also, some of these paragraphs are subject to small changes or add-ons when I actually get to them. For now… Read and Enjoy! ;D**

**Quick Note: Rick hates his name so he goes by the name of Archer.**

…

"This is your fault." The blonde archer muttered lowly from behind the bars with his emerald orbs gazing intently through his prison cell to the cell right in front of him, just six blocks across of his. His eyes narrowed as the figure sitting on the ground only brought their knees up to their chest and sat in silence. "I thought you said he was a 'good' guy? I should have known he wasn't, all the legends say his isn't anything but a monster but I still listened to you. Big mistake, now we are all going to die in this horrible place because of you."

"How was I supposed to know that- that he-." Steve stopped as the guilt built back up, he lowered his head onto his knees and stared blankly at the stone brick wall. In truth, it was his fault. Everything happened because of him. The miner could clearly tell that his friend was not only enraged but distraught from the whole mess that just happened, the man's tone and rigid posture also made it clear. The archer was pretty much powerless to the many copies of Herobrine attacking him and all of the people, he was skilled with a bow better than anyone Steve had ever met other than Luna but even with his natural talent for hitting his targets with precision he could never hit the original Herobrine nor find him. He wouldn't have done much damage anyways.

Him, the archer, and everybody else was just lucky that Herobrine had stopped his merciless attacks and listened to his pleas to spare everyone in the fortress, it was shocking enough that no one was killed during the being's rampancy. The White-Eyed man had actually listened after days of bad confrontations and fights and had taken them all prisoner instead of killing them, he guess that he himself was lucky too to still be alive in spite of everything that had happened already. Herobrine just seemed hesitant and lenient only when the miner himself was struggling to cling to life. As to why? He wasn't sure. Otherwise, Herobrine treated him like he would to any other human.

"Well?!" He suddenly moved off of the dusty wooden stool and stood up before walking to the end of his cage and grabbing a hold of the bars, he shook his head back and forth in disbelief as he stared at the miner. "Say something."

"I didn't know that he wouldn't… remember me." Steve said quietly.

"Am I supposed to believe that you were friends with him before?! It's starting to sound like a big lie just to get some attention around here if you ask me! That's the story that got me to move into this Notch forsaken land to begin with. One of my long ago; childhood friends just happened to become friends with the Legendary Herobrine. But I came here and Herobrine had-"

"Rick stop it." Leanne moved up from behind and grabbed the man's red long coat and pulled at it to get his attention. "He didn't know that this would happen. I mean look at him?" She gestured the motionless miner sitting in the corner of his cell. "He's clearly not lying, I can tell by the tone of his voice and the troubling expression on his face. Steve you aren't lying are you?" She asked for reassurance in his defense.

The miner sighed but hardly did anything else in his spot. "He was my friend once, you should know most of the story from there since I've already told you, but when I went looking for him for again and when I finally found him… he just wasn't the same."

"So that's why you always came back to the stronghold all ragged and exhausted? Or at least for the past few nights right?"

The man lightly nodded. "Yeah, it was because I was fighting with him and trying to get him to remember who I was but he just couldn't. He nearly killed me a couple times during those skirmishes, but I didn't want to tell you guys that he was practically back to his old self. I was afraid for your reactions."

"Yeah, you were so afraid for our reactions that you didn't care for the safety of our lives!" Rick sneered and squeezed the bars tightly.

Steve turned his head with concern written on his face. "I did care … I-"

"I'm not buying it Steve!" The blonde interrupted with a low growl. "If you 'really' cared about us; your 'friends' then you would have told us that Herobrine the 'White-Eyed Terror' and not the 'Friendly Immortal' was running around with the desire to kill each and every one of us! Just look at where we are now?!"

"I just wanted to get him to remember so that he could return to the stronghold like I have wanted to for the past two years and help him place trust in our kind again."

"Well you apparently couldn't." Rick released the bars and folded his arms. "Getting many people to move into this cursed land without having a 'friendly' demon was the worst decision you could have ever made."

"Cut it out. He tried to fix things at least!" The blonde woman placed a hand on her brother's shoulder again and tried to get him to face her but he wouldn't budge.

Rick then shrugged Leanne off with haste and shot a glare of his own to his sister. "Sis, do you not realize the situation we are in? Herobrine is going to kill us all now!"

"You're right Archer. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." He said earnestly looking at his distraught friends. Steve closed his eyes for a brief moment and faced the wall again. "What a failure I turned out to be right Notch?" Steve whispered to himself and opened his blue eyes, he waited in silence for some kind of sign but he got nothing like he expected.

"I don't think you're a failure." Leanne stepped up to edge of her cell and looked through the bars with worrisome emerald eyes. She felt so bad for the miner but she didn't want a once upbeat and determined guy to become so regretful and blameworthy. He was actually really lucky… if he looked close enough. "It's alright. You should be so happy that you had finally found him Steve. So many days and nights you invested in finding him weren't wasted, all of those mornings you went to pray at the shrine? Those seemingly countless hours and pleas had paid off." She then felt a small but sad smile creep up on her face. "You've searched for two full years and had no luck, but you did ultimately fulfill your wish of finding your friend. Even if he isn't the same now, you did complete your goal."

The miner kept his gaze glued to the wall but he did feel a little better for actually accomplishing something worthwhile, Leanne's words seemed quite comforting but the guilt still weighed him down and it was getting heavier the more he thought about it. He put so many people in danger just because of a mistake, so many innocent lives of are now in Herobrine's wrathful hand. The being could easily crush them all in one go if he wanted.

This put even more worry on the miner's mind. The sounds of crying children definitely made him feel worse, there were many kids running about the fortress and now they are all in the dark dungeons with everybody else; waiting for the old hero to come and- well he really didn't want to think on that anymore.

"Steve?" Leanne asked softly after waiting so long for some kind of a reply.

"I woke him up too early."

"What do you mean?" She slightly tilted her head in confusion and curiosity.

"I found him asleep in a large ancient stronghold not too far from the Iron mines, but he was on a stone alter sleeping peacefully. However; something just didn't seem right when I looked at him, his eyes were closed and his body was there but a resonating glow was coming from underneath his closed eyelids. I didn't know why; I thought it was just the glow from his eyes like they normally do, but I think he was still recovering. Not his body but his memories. I didn't let him finish!" Steve shook his head and pounded a fist on the cold stone floor enraged at himself for making such a selfish fault, doing that actually got Rick to look at him despite his anger. "I just wanted him to wake up, I wanted to have my friend back but he hadn't recovered enough and because of doing that; he doesn't remember hardly anything except for his dark past!" The miner seethed then just as quickly cooled off from his mistake. "But I wasn't aware that waking him would have been a bad thing? How was I supposed to know that he was still recovering? I should have thought things out before making such a rash decision but I didn't. And now; even I am his enemy once again."

A deep sigh came from the miner's right.

"Even if what you say is true, it doesn't change our current situation. But-" Archer moved a hand up to the top of his head and rubbed his temples as he felt his rage diminishing. He had almost forgotten the miner's tenacity when it came to going out and hunting for Herobrine, that guy spent at least three to four hours a day; or even nearly the entire night on occasions looking down in the caves or through the woods. This determination out of the guy must show for his 'friendship' with the god-like man, the marksman really didn't consider this because of all the stress he had from being beat up to getting locked in a dark cold dungeon with his sister's life at risk as well as his own. "I'm sorry Steve, at least you had cared enough to look for so long, I saw you at the shrine most mornings for the past years, or getting on your horse and heading out into the wilderness with your pic, sword, and torch. I guess if you care enough for someone as cruel as him then maybe you are right. Maybe you were his friend once? That doesn't help us now though."

"You're right. It doesn't." The miner said blankly.

…

Herobrine had heard the whole conversation from the shadows of the prison hall columns, he heard everything those three said out of the tunnel filled cells that were crammed with humans. He focused in on what the miner and his friends were saying through the crying children, the beatings on the bars, the shouts for freedom, and the frightened cries of many. Those words the miner had said only confused him more, he couldn't remember anything of mortal being his actual friend. He could barely remember the guy at all but he always saw flashes of him when he tried to recall something. Thinking back only seemed to make his head hurt, it ached more when he tried to remember the mortal identical to him.

That human was more of a headache then he's worth. He wasn't worth holding onto. Herobrine felt as though he shouldn't have to hold onto the miner nor any of the humans. He needed to get rid of them and be free of his migraine.

…

Archer paced back in forth as he tried to take their conversation in, he noticed that Leanne had took a seat by the edge of the cell and watched him as he moved. After walking in place and thinking; he felt that maybe he was being a little too harsh on Steve. Feeling the tug of guilt for making the guy feel worse he stopped and turned away from the back wall and towards Steve's cell. His eyes shot wide open and he gaped from the form standing in front of his friend's cell. "Steve!"

Steve immediately looked up at Archer from his shout but was instantly greeted with two white glowing eyes coming from his shadowed duplicate staring at him from behind the bars. His gasp had quickly caught attention of people in nearby cells and they all started to cram into the corners of their cages with screams and shouts from the sight of the legendary being in the torch's dying glow. People in the close by cells were obviously panicking from their vigorous movements away from the bars but Steve only remained still and panicked on the inside instead of getting up and running.

There was no point.

The barred iron door was suddenly ripped off of it's hinges and the being stepped inside the cell. "Herobrine?" Steve held his breath for a short minute before gasping as Herobrine quickly grabbed him by the throat and dragged him roughly out of the small chamber by his neck. Steve instantly lashed his legs out and flailed as he was being carelessly dragged by the old hero's legs with the tight clamp still on his neck keeping his head and upper torso from touching the ground. Steve grabbed onto the strangulating force and tried to get a good breath of air but it was difficult.

"STEVE!" Leanne shouted out and reached her arm through the bar as he was being pulled away from their cell and towards the dark unlighted corridor. "Nooo!"

"LET HIM GO YOU BASTARD!" Archer shouted with anger strongly present ion his tone as he fiercely jerked at the iron bars that kept him sealed from freedom. He continued to pull at the iron but he couldn't get through the barred wall or barred door. He then moved to the edge of his cell and lightly moved his sister aside before trying to look through the gap of the bars and wall as Herobrine dragged the miner further from sight. "Don't you dare hurt him damn it! Steve!"

Steve's eyes watered as hs lungs shriveled, he needed oxygen. He removed his hands and the started ramming his fists into the side of Herobrine's leg.

Herobrine sneered and jarred the man a bit with a rough shake. "Stop struggling mortal!" His loud shout seemed to echo down the hall of panicking people and many of them grew silent from the inhuman-echoing-deep-silky voice of the immortal. This strange tone of voice had almost the entire dungeon in silence as the man walked by their cages with his first victim in his hand.

"No, he's first." A man said quietly and backed behind a few of his cellmates in fear. "We're next. We're next!" The man cowered and muttered small prayer lowly to himself.

"But I thought Steve was the one to… you know? Say that 'He' was not evil?" A feminine voice came quietly through one of the more larger chambers, many visible faces could be seen in the weak light of the dying torches on the walls between each prison cell.

"Steven? Is that you?"

'_That voice?' _Steve managed to turn his head to the side to see Nigel, Warren, Luna, and a bunch of other people in a large cell, all of them were wearing expressions of fright and concern; too scared to say anything and risk being next in line for their predicted fate.

"Ni-Nigel?" The miner choked and squeezed his eyes shut as more pressure was applied for talking. He could still feel himself being lightly jerked back and forth from the being's swaying arms in his walk.

"Herobrine please?" The old explorer moved to the edge of his own cage and only watched in disappointment and worry as the being looked straight ahead and ignored him. "Please let him go? He's your friend! Don't do this! I implore you!" It was getting too difficult to see the miner now so the old man backed away and moved over to Warren before taking a seat on the floor with an expression of dread.

Steve's eyes widened as the last cell he was drug past had a very familiar face looking at him with utter terror. "Stephanie?" He looked at his shocked sister who seemed to be just frozen in fear, then gasped rather loudly despite the hold on his throat. "Mom?" He choked out her name and trembled as a stray tear escaped his eye, his blue orbs locked onto the form of his mother and stayed on her. She was lying on the floor splayed out and was completely silent and unmoving. He didn't see her shift and he couldn't see her face from his position. "Mother!?" He managed a shout but after he didn't get a single reply nor a sign of life from her; he felt a part of himself break. His chest felt heavier now and moister in the corners of his eyes had double tenfold. He was too shocked from her visible but dead-appearing condition that he didn't care what was going to happen to him.

"Before I do anything, I am getting answers." Herobrine said blankly as he glanced down for a brief moment only to see Steve lying still and letting his arms drag across the floor, the miner stared silently at the prison cells they were leaving behind. Without another word mustered by either of them, Herobrine walked into an empty corridor and dragged the miner along before disappearing into the darkness.

…

**So, guys. A lot to think about here. I was going to do a few excerpts but this one is just so big and took so long. I still may do more later, depends on if you guys are going to tell me what you think about this one. Review and tell me your thoughts and I may give you moar in another chapter! XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hero's Might: Previews 2**

**I bring another excerpt for you my readers, it's been a while since I've posted one so I decided to post another; well… mostly because I want to get it out of my head(it's been gnawing at me to write it since I already had planned this scene to be a preview). It's short but it's a preview. I will try and have the next chapter of Hero's Bane up on Sunday night, having a bit of a writer's block on it at the moment but I will push through. Hope you enjoy.**

…

Herobrine pushed the iron door open and stepped into the large room, the voices that once filled the space came to an abrupt stop and all heads turned towards him. He instantly had several pairs of eyes looking directly at him, eyes from various ages that came from the figures in the wooden chairs and beds. He had the attention of almost all of the mortals in the room except from two humans at the main end, one was lying motionless on a bed with the other sitting in a chair by the bedside; weeping rather loudly in the new found silence. She apparently didn't even care since her attention was on the lying form or she had just failed to take notice of the quietness. It was actually better that she didn't. She didn't like him at all, still holding dearly onto the resentment she had for him for taking two precious lives that she loved so much and missed.

The old hero began a slow pace towards the young weeping woman, only her loud sobs and the sounds of his footsteps could be heard in the interior of the barracks. Most of the stares he got were ones of shock, anger, uncertainty, and fear, it was expected though; especially after what he had done to the humans who moved into the land not so long ago. The mortals remained still and quiet as he passed by but he did not pay any of them no mind, some were too sick to move much anyway. None of them seemed brave enough to even move in his presence which was wise, if any of them had the gall to try something sneaky then he will make sure that they would certainly regret it. He didn't have time to waste with the sickly mortals, he had to keep his focus on taking out the abomination when it returned and check up on his friend who was also fairly ill.

He stepped up to the young woman and waited quietly for her to take notice of him but she didn't, she only sat lurched forward in her chair with her hands covering her face. Her ragged cries oddly created a light prickly and uncomfortable feeling in his chest, a sensation that he didn't like one bit. It was one of those feelings he had rarely ever felt, sympathy in general was a very rare thing too. But considering who it was that sat in the seat and the one lying on the bed; he allowed it, he hadn't felt this way since back in the days when he was still considered a hero. It had been a long time since he had sympathy, he still wasn't used to it and he definitely wasn't open to the feeling but he could show it if for only his friend's sake and nothing more.

His white gaze moved from the young woman to the man lying on the bed. There laid the miner, sleeping ever so soundly with a peaceful look lining his soft features; he was resting well despite his horrid condition. Upon closer observation however; he could tell that the miner was still struggling, even if he appareled to be sleeping well he wasn't doing good at all. The man's breath was heavy and quick; like he was struggling to breathe properly, just one of the major symptoms of the nasty effect he had. The right side of his neck and cheek was starting to pale just like his arms started to a while ago, this meant that the black was going to be covering up the side of his face soon and that would mean that he'll have trouble turning his head to the right with his infected muscles tightening up under the tainted skin. Steve was already having trouble moving his arms and even one of his legs, he can no longer move with the vitality he once had. With the strange substance spreading; it would only be a matter of time before he'd be fully paralyzed, he would probably die if the old man couldn't create a cure fast enough. Herobrine coiled his fists and lightly clenched his teeth in anger. He was going to have push the old mortal into finding a cure faster or make him pay should he take too much longer or fail; friend of the miner's or not.

A ragged sob-part-cough tore his attention away from the miner and his rage came to a halt as the woman lifted her head and looked straight up at him with tearstained eyelids. At first she softened her cry, then she looked down at Steve and wiped away more tears that came streaming down at the sight of the bedridden man. She was clearly afraid with that look in her eyes but she seemed to focused on Steve to even worry about the monster who took part of her family away from her.

"Stephanie." Came Herobrine's calm voice.

This immediately made the young brunette look back at the White-Eyed man with a light and quiet gasp even though she couldn't stand looking at the infamous killer, she was surprised that he called for her so calmly despite the tension they had earlier. He was standing only feet away from her but she didn't scoot back cower away, she wouldn't do that anymore. There was no point. She was infected too which meant that her time would be getting closer anyways, Steve's was clearly creeping up on him. His health was declining and so was hers. There was no reason to flee or stand clear of the ancient evil anymore.

She lightly looked at the glowing white orbs but moved her gaze away from the cold looking stare, those white eyes just looked so cold and soulless. Herobrine had taken away her brother and father and yet her other brother became friends with the demon and claimed that he had done wrong out of been treated wrong, he was also supposedly doing what he was forced to do for a great beast in fear for his own wellbeing. It was hard to believe and she still refused to acknowledge some of the story. Herobrine was everyone's enemy, even Steve's. Yet… the being was protecting her and Steve, he even seemed to protect some of the people that were taking refuge in the fort; likely because of Steve's presence and nothing more. But regardless, she saw with her own eyes what he had done and it didn't make him look so 'friendly' like her brother had claimed. The old hero still hated humans so it was possible that he would ruthlessly kill any of them whenever he wanted to, for no reason other than his own will to do so. He'd kill anybody at any time, he would even kill Steve like he tried to many times before, twice in her presence. He was an uncontrollable fiend and would slay his own 'friend'.

Stephanie felt more tears well up in her eyes, she was feeling even more hopeless with the fate of her brother already coming into light. If Herobrine did decide to kill him or her right now then it would be almost like a favor, putting them out of their misery instead of dying slowly with the pain they had. That dark thought made the hot fluid in her tear ducts flow more rapidly and her breath hitched the more she thought about it. She found herself crying loudly again with the gathering drops moving freely down her cheeks, she didn't want to die and she didn't want her brother to either; but she just couldn't get the thought of death out of her mind. Stephanie kept her head low as she looked down at her empty palms, her arm then started to ache again and she quickly glanced to her right bicep. The sight of the grey splotch on her paling limb wasn't a welcoming one, that's what first happened with Steve's arms and he ignored it like it was nothing. Now he had blackened skin in the place of the pale splotches; as black as charcoal, his blacked limbs also seemed cold and devoid of life. His facial features were starting to sink in a bit as if he was fading away like he was drying corpse in the making. He also wasn't eating well so he had dropped a large amount of weight quickly; along with muscle mass too, he was defiantly getting weaker with each passing day. She would be in his position too soon and soon in her mother's. Her life was a living nightmare and she wished she could just wake up from it.

"Stephanie." Came that godly deep tone of voice again.

The young woman looked up at him but didn't respond, she only sat there and tried to keep the tears from collecting on her cheeks.

The powerful being stood there and waited for some kind of reply but the woman was too stressed and sorrowful that nothing passed her lips but that of rapid breaths and cries. He expected that much. Herobrine looked away for a moment; noticing that his long gaze was making her uncomfortable, he looked back to see that she had her palms covering her face again and she was in a hunch. It was a pathetic sight but he had to reason with the woman, Steve asked that much of him to at least try and get along with her; he did owe her his protection as well as Steve's for the slaughter of their brother and father.

"Crying will not help him, it will certainly not help yourself." He said quietly, completely ignoring the other silent humans in the large room. "Steve is going to be fine and so are you, it may take some time however. … You know that your brother would not want you to sit there and cry all night, you should be getting some rest yourself." He received no response. The old hero sighed and crossed his arms. "You know, your brother once told me something; something that he hates more than anything else. He hates to see you cry. He says that that is one of the things he can't stand." Herobrine was surprised when the girl removed her face from her palms and looked up at him again. With Steve's sister's attention; he continued. "Out of everything he could hate in the world, even me; he chooses to hate the sight of your tears the most? I once found that concept of this 'hate' to be meaningless and absurd, but now I see why. I cannot believe that I didn't realize this until now." He said more quietly. "You are of the Stonewall's descendants too." Herobrine started more loudly. "Part of a family that is strong willed and powerful in beliefs and hope. When your brother faced me and the face of death many of times a few years ago; he fought it and didn't give in, even when he stood absolutely no chance against me nor Ender." The being pointed to the sleeping miner. "Even now in his poor condition; he has the will to fight. Steve struggles to swing his sword now and he can't run as near as fast without tiring himself within a short time of moving, but with his hindrance he still wants to fight. He still clings to the hope that one of his friend's will find a cure, and that he can help in destroying that deathly fiend. He's faced death so many times now that I believe he may no longer fear it." The demi-god swung his head back in forth. "I think he knows what fate will befall him and the land soon if we can't stop the spreading of the black dust. I am immune to it but humans, creatures, mobs, and everything else alike is not. Even the stone brick walls that shelter you mortals will eventually fade away but not anytime soon by the looks of it, so it's best not to worry too much."

Stephanie remained silent and continued to wipe the tears away, for once she didn't feel so afraid of the legendary man. He spoke in such a way that made her feel as though she could trust him and that just shouldn't be, or at least it shouldn't be in her head. Herobrine was a cold-blooded killer, yet here he was; talking so calmly with a reassuring tone.

Herobrine looked back over to Steve. "You shouldn't worry too much about him either, he wants to fight but he is in no condition to do so, it's best for him to stay here. He's been through enough near-death experiences as it is. I will not allow him to go out there and have his condition worsen, so try to keep him in the fortress if you can. Also try to keep him or anyone from going down into the dungeon, I have it blocked off but some people may try to mine a tunnel out of this land. Unfortunately, that's were a lot of the decaying mobs are at; I've already taken care of the ones that got onto the main floor. It would be very unwise to clear up the blockage and allow the disease riddled mobs to come in, the disease could spread faster that way and possibly kill out all of you. Perhaps that old mortal can make a potion to stop this disease? He has surprised me almost as much as the miner, you should keep faith in that old man. And remember; make sure that Steve stays here, I'll be heading out soon to keep an eye out for the boney fiend." And with those words; Herobrine turned on his heels and began to walk back towards the door.

The image of the dark monster returned to her mind and she was very afraid of it, afraid of it's monstrous roar and the disease it spread. Another twinge came from her right arm as she readjusted her position to face her brother, after seeing the spot on her right bicep; it didn't help her feel any better about her or her brother's disintegrating situation. He had large black splotches all over his chest and his arms were already almost fully black, it was slowly appearing on his face; if a small spot made her hurt for a even a second then she didn't even want to imagine what pain her brother was going through. Steve's health was deteriorating more and more, even in his sleep. The man just breathed more stiffly and barely moved at all; even though he tossed and turned in his sleep a lot when he was fully healthy. He wasn't looking good at all, she believed that she'd be in the same situation soon. "We're going to die aren't we?"

The hero stopped and tilted his head back, seeing the more tears forming in the young woman's eyes again. He lightly sighed and walked back up to her. "I know that you afraid of me and death Stephanie, but you do not have to. Even if this Nigel cannot create a cure-"

"We're going to die." She cried loudly and started the water works.

"You're not going to die so stop crying." Herobrine said with a hint of annoyance, he thought that he got the woman to stop but she started to go again. He stepped a little closer and sighed after realizing his cold-like reply made her fold her hands over her face to hide it as she wept.

"He's going to die first! I can't lose my last brother, I love him so much. … He's the only family I have left. … I don't want to lose him." Stephanie lifted her face from her hands for a brief moment to catch her breath and wipe away the flood that streaked her face.

Herobrine quickly leaned forward and softly cupped the side of the woman's face to keep her from burying it in her hands again. She stiffened up and gave him a look of horror and sorrow, not expecting the ancient evil to do such a thing. Her eyes immediately look away from the white ones. It was aggravating that she clung to so much despair when it was her brother that clung more to hope, even in the darkest of situations; the miner fought like Lionel. "Listen Stephanie, if you are Steve's sibling then you have to be stronger than this. You could not imagine how hard it was for Steve to watch his father and brother fall from my blade, I showed him to get him away from this land but even after that; he came back because he was strong and in more ways than one."

Stephanie closed her eyes from the being's words and sobbed more quietly, she didn't need a reminder as to why she hated him; especially not after he was being so reassuring and supportive though he was supposed to be a demon. She peeled her eyelids and looked away as the white glow filled her vision.

"I want you to look into my eyes mortal, you need rest. So look." Herobrine asked, he lightly growled when she refused. "I need you to look into my eyes." He said again with a little aggression, using just a little pressure to force her to face him directly but she only kept her eyes shut while more hot tears flowed down her cheeks.

"I can't… … I just can't…!" She cried aloud.

"Damn it, just look!" He shouted with his brows narrowed in impatience, he quickly lightened his expression when he noticed that his shout had terrified the girl; she was even shaking from his outburst.

"I'm afraid."

The being lightened his hold and took a deep breath himself to cool. "Then at least listen to me. I owe you and your brother a great debt and I am going to do whatever it takes to fulfill it." He said with a serious but soft tone. "But I'm not only doing this for the payment of the lives I took from the both of you, I am also doing this because your brother is my friend. He has done so much and sacrificed a lot for me when I did barely anything but cause him pain and suffering, so you listen and you listen good. You and your brother are not going to die. I will do whatever I possibly can to keep the both of you alive." He paused when she finally opened her eyes and looked directly into his. I will not let either of you die, that I promise!" Herobrine felt strange as he made that promise, he used to hate promises so much because they were never accomplished and now he was making one out to a mortal; other than the only person he could trust. "You hear me? I promise that I will not let either of you die, I will destroy the monster and make sure that the two of you survive at all costs."

"But-"

"I will hold my word, just you wait. There's no telling where that blasted monster went but I have a feeling that it will return soon when the rain stops, so I must leave now." He said calmly as the woman squinted her eyes from the brightening glow of white, she couldn't look away though; not when the hero had her ensnared in his strange gazing trance. "Now rest, you look like you need it." He said and the glow in his eyes got a little brighter before dimming down. The woman's body went limp and her heavy eyes closed.

Herobrine lightly pushed her back onto the chair and pulled one of her arms that hung over the armchair and moved it onto her lap, he then held out his hand and a red blanket soon formed bit by bit in his grasp. He loosely draped the fabric over the girl and took a step back. Both Steve and his sister were deteriorating in their health, as well as most of the people in the room. He didn't see the point of quarantining the effected mortals, being exposed to the particles of the black dust was the only way they could receive the disease. Well that and somehow getting any of the particles into their body through tainted weapons, bites from effected mobs, or breathing in the stuff; yet they still stayed separate for precaution. A few mortals had already died from the weakening effect and they looked pretty healthy; only having a few patches of black as opposed to nearly a quarter of their body like Steve had.

The miner; he was surprisingly deteriorating slower; considering he had been exposed to the black dust way before anybody else had. He didn't know what was prolonging the effect for him, but he was glad that whatever it was is still keeping the miner alive. Steve was strong and seemed to do fine with the aches and pains of effected areas, he still had other issues that he couldn't handle though. He was basically starving himself and eating little to nothing each day, having no real appetite like he should. He also was getting more and more stiff around the effected joints, moving more sluggishly and getting tired way to soon. The last symptom that was concerning was his lack of breath, it was like his lungs could barely take in enough air to keep him going.

Herobrine walked out of the room quietly. He was going to have to get rid of the deadly fiend soon before it's fading influence would completely consume the miner and leave nothing but the husk of bones under sunken skin.

…

**There was some choice words I didn't use in here because I didn't want to spoil too much, though you could probably guess. Hope you enjoyed this one, leave a review if you like and I may post another sometime. Thanks for reading! ;D**


End file.
